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It’s amazing to hear her voice again after all these weeks and only hearing it in my mind as I played our time together over and over again, usually in the dead of night when the loneliness really kicked in.
“Daddy, come on. Waffle needs to be found,” Ivy says from the backseat, breaking our staring contest.
I grip the steering wheel and then put the car in reverse, leaving the driveway and pulling onto the road again. The car’s headlights cut through the rain as we all peer into the darkness. Alice’s scent washes over me, and I thank the Lord she didn’t climb in the back with Ivy.
I want to reach over and touch her, place my hand on her leg, bury it in her hair, kiss her. I’ll take anything she wants to give me. Just like she once told me.
I continue down the road, trying to drive safely but also keeping my eyes peeled.
He couldn’t have gone far. Why would he even leave the backyard?
I notice the sound of rain has grown louder, and I glance back at Ivy to see that she’s rolling her window down.
Before I can tell her to put it back up, she’s screaming into the night, “Waffle! Waffle! Where are you?”
I doubt anyone can hear her over the downpour, and she’s getting soaked through for her efforts.
“Do you mind?” Alice asks, gesturing to her own window, and I shake my head.
“Go ahead,” I tell her.
Small dots of water mist in on us as the rain shifts in the wind, and I see Alice shiver. She leans her head closer to the window and starts to yell for Waffle as well.
Ah, fuck it.
I roll mine down halfway and join in with the yelling.
Four streets away, I’m starting to go hoarse as we continue searching before I spot him, huddled on the front porch of a house, underneath the portico.
“Ivy, Alice, there,” I say, pulling over to the side of the street.
Before I know it, Alice is out of the car, bounding up the front steps. Waffle stands, his tail wagging as he jumps up, putting his paws on Alice’s thighs as he tries to get closer to her.
“You found him, Daddy,” Ivy says, struggling to get her seat belt undone so she can get out of the car.
“Wait. Stay right there,” I tell her. “I’ll help Alice.”
I reach over to where Alice forgot the leash and get out, the rain immediately making my hair hang over my forehead and my shirt stick to my skin. Alice is trying to bend down and pick up Waffle, who is wiggling and making it difficult for her.
“Here,” I say, stepping toward them and hooking the leash to Waffle’s collar.
Alice stands, swiping at the muddy paw prints all over her.
“Thanks,” she says, meeting my eyes.
We have another stare-off, where it seems everything we want to say to each other is about to burst out, but neither of us takes the first step. My eyes zero in on Alice’s mouth as the tip of her tongue slips out to lick her lips, making her appear almost nervous.
God knows I am.
“I, uh—” I start but stop when Alice shakes her head slightly.
“We need to get the wet dog and tired little girl home,” she says, her voice small.
I nod, knowing that she’s using it as an excuse.
Does she not want to reconcile?Or maybe she’s unsure of what is going to come out of my mouth.
“Right.” I gesture for her to walk ahead, and I follow behind, Waffle happily trotting beside me.
